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Yolo County is the home of some of the world's greatest dairy cows. In the 

herd shown here are three record-breakers. In the foreground is Tilly Alcartra, 

with a, vear's milk production of 30,452.6 pounds 



Yolo Countj^ 

California 



Br ARTHUR DUNN 



1915^ 



ISSUED BY 

SUNSET MAGAZINE HOMESEEKERS' BUREAU 

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 

FOR THE YOLO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, EXPOSITION COMMISSION 

BY ORDER OF THE YOLO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 



Yolo County, California 




OLO COUNTY, California, possessing wondrous wealth in the 
fertility of its soil, glorious climate and advantageous location, 
extends an invitation to all persons weary of drudgery and dreary 
days ; who are tired of the struggle with storms and snow ; who 
are cruelly cooped up in cities ; who seek success ; who, having 
dreamed of a home, want more than visionary happiness ; who are patriotic 
and progressive ; who love peace and desire plenty and prosperity. To such 
as these Yolo County holds forth a promise that may be fulfilled in rich 
rewards. 

Yolo County is not being boomed. There is no inflated bubble to burst. 
The certain and steady growth of the county in recent years is due solely 
to its marvelous attractiveness, and the only reason that it is not more 
populous is because large tracts of land had been held for half a century in 
comparatively few ownerships. 

Surely soil could not be more productive than indicated by the following 
excerpt taken from a report issued by the United States Department of 
Agriculture : 

■'It is ideal grain, alfalfa and fruit land. You may find growing on this 
soil wheat, corn, barley, oats, alfalfa, all the vegetables of a temperate and 
subtropical climate, apples, apricots, nectarines, plums, pears, prunes, 
oranges, lemons, limes, figs, pomegranates, grapes (table, wine and raisin), 
almonds, olives, English walnuts, berries of all kinds and melons." 

And since climate is an essential asset — in fact, the working capital of 
the farmer — it is well to cite at the outset the same government authority, 
as follows : 

"The climatic conditions in general are favorable to the production of 
grain and other crops, the early ripening and coloring of fruits and the 
open-air curing of dried fruits. The dry air of the summer and late spring 
makes the region comparatively free from certain insect and fungus troubles 
affecting the fruit and trees in regions of great humidity." 

So in the very beginning Yolo County has its story half told by an in- 
disputable authority, but it is the purpose of this booklet to give publicity 
to vital details, to accentuate the natural advantages of the county, and to 
impress upon the interested reader that here tliere are manifold opportuni- 
ties that one cannot afford to overlook. Al)ove all else the absolute truth 
is told from the opening sentence to the closing period. Indeed, it is un- 
necessary to draw any fanciful picture of the resources of Yolo, for the 
productivity of its soil is so marvelous that facts, honestly related, some- 
times seem like the vaporings of an enthusiast. 

Yolo County is anxious to reach the homeseeker, the man who wants to 
settle upon a twenty- or forty-acre tract of land and enjoy the fruits of his 
labor. There is need for such persons in this county, and when it is under- 
stood that ninety persons or corporations own sixty-five per cent, of all the 
lands in Yolo County and that the average farm acreage is 365 acres, one 
can realize readily that there is ample room for thousands of families. 

In addition to its matchless soil and ideal climate Yolo County has all 
the conveniences of modern civilization — railroads, water transportation, 
electric light and power, excellent educational facilities, including the State 
University Agricultural College, telephone, telegraph, complete system of 
highways, rural mail delivery system, free public library and everything 
required for comfort and convenience by a progressive people. 



SOUVENIR ^(l9I'5)f EDITION 




AN AMAZING VARIETY OF PRODUCTS IS GROWN IN THE FERTILE SOIL THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTY 

General Location 

Yolo County is situated in the very heart of the Sacramento Valley and 
therefore is almost in the center of California. The Sacramento River, the 
fifth largest river in the United States, separates the county from Sacra- 
mento, the capital city of the State. 

The landed area of Yolo County is 1,014 square miles, and the population 
approximates 16,000. Within the borders of this county is the largest con- 
tiguous body of unbroken fertile land in the State. The southern lioundary 
of the county is Putah Creek, the Coast Range mountains are on the west, 
Colusa County is on the north and the Sacramento River marks the 
boundary of the east. The county-seat of Yolo, Woodland, is twenty miles 
distant from Sacramento and eighty-six miles from San Francisco. 

The river is one of the county's natural advantages. This body of water 
changes its course from a southerly to a westerly course on its way to the 
Pacific, and washes Yolo shores for a distance of ninety miles. Rich sedi- 
mentary deposits have formed the delta lands along the river. About 
seventy-five per cent, of the county consists of level land, the balance being 
gently sloping hills and mountains. 

Soil Conditions 

The soil of Yolo County can not be excelled. While it may not all be 
classified alike, it is all rich in the elements required for plant growth. On 
a great portion of the land is a sedimentary deposit, left there in ages agone 
by Putah and Cache creeks and the Sacramento River. Speaking of this 
soil, Mr. J. M. Wilson, a government expert, after an examination of the 
soil reported : 

"There is no finer agricultural land than this sedimentary deposit. It is 
mellow, warm and fertile with good drainage, yet holding a reserve of 
moisture to resist drought." 



SOUVENIR 





GOLDEN GRAIN HIGHER THAN A MAN S HEAD IS ANOTHER PROOF OF THE FERTILITY OF THE SOIL IN YOLO 

Not only is this soil marvelously rich, but in depth it can not be surpassed 
by any place in California. For half a century grains have been grown on 
these lands, and they will produce anything that may be grown in any section 
of the State, and nearly everything that can be produced in any part of the 
United States. Except where intensively farmed, at present a large portion of the 
landed area of Yolo is almost virgin soil and there is no need of fertiliza- 
tion to insure phenomenal yield of all kinds of crops. 

Perhaps a better idea of the fertility of the soil may be gleaned from a 
statement made by Mr. Wilson, the government expert quoted in a preced- 
ing paragraph, who said : 

"On a lot in the town of "Woodland, eighty feet front by a depth of 145 
feet, one-seventh of an acre, the following trees, plants, vines and flowers 
were found in full bearing : twelve navel orange, one lemon, one cherry, 
three apple, two fig, two olive, two apricot, four almond and two plum trees, 
fifty-eight grape vines (nine varieties), plots of dewberries, raspberries and 
loganberries, fifty varieties of rose bushes, a small vegetable garden of 
onions, tomatoes, lettuce, mint, sage, parsley, and beds of bulbous and other 
flowering plants." 

There are innumerable instances where flourish, side by side, the choicest 
products of the temperate zone and the sub-tropics; and the apple, peach, 
pear, pjum, apricot, orange, lemon, lime and fig. 

For years thousands of acres have been sown to grain by the farmers of 
Yolo County. Like other sections of California wheat was king in this 
county, and every farmer seemed to want to rival liis neighbor in the extent 
of the territory over which he ruled. Mile after mile came under one 
ownership. Golden grain brought minted money to the grower. The person 
advocating and practicing intensive farming was looked upon contemptuously. 
Consequently the wonderfully rich lands of Yolo were misused for decades 
and the county's growth was retarded while other and less favored spots in 




SOUVENIR ^(191 "5)? EDITION 



the State sprang up into new and vigorous life. They had the advantage of 
numbers and the development that comes with well directed ambition. 

Years ago foreign governments and peoples learned that small acreage 
properly and scientifically cultivated was more profitable to the individual 
and more desirable for the State than large tracts ; but it took the United 
States government a long time to realize the truth. The fact is that this 
government had encouraged large land holdings, but now, especially in the 
irrigation projects under its direction, the advice is given to all farmers who 
would enjoy life and the good things of the soil to assume the control of 
only as much land as they may manage individually. So it was in Yolo 
County, and even today there are many ranches containing thousands of 
acres controlled by a few. Eventually these must pass on to the many to 
the greater enrichment and development of the community. 

It is the large land holding that has prevented the increase of population 
warranted by the character of the soil and the natural advantages enjoyed 
by Yolo County. Indeed, population is the only "stunted growth" that can 
be found within the borders of the county. But now, persuaded by the 
overwhelming proofs offered by men of science and by communities of 
undoubted success, owners of vast tracts of land are throwing them open to 
the public, offering them for sale at prices that are reasonable and under 
conditions that are generous. 

Since it is evident that the land is available for the homeseeker it is well 
to consider the other attractions of Yolo. 

Ideal Climate 

Unless the climate agrees with plant life the richest soil is of little 
practical value. Fruit trees may grow in a freezing climate, but will not 
bear fruit. Soil may be fit for grain and alfalfa but blighting blasts may 
destroy the product. So the farmer must consider well all the climatic 
conditions that surround a place in which he contemplates locating. 

The climate of Yolo cannot be excelled for uniformity and healthfulness. 
Every month in the year some kind of crop ripens in the open, and there is 
absolutely no time in the year when the growth of plant life is suspended 
or checked entirely. There is no winter, but there is a rainy season, beginning 
in November .and lasting until February, There is ninety-seven per cent, 
sunshine throughout September. 

According to the thermometer it gets hot in Yolo, but the summer heat 
is dry and not at all depressing. Sunstrokes are unknown, as they are 
generally throughout California. During the warmest periods the nights are 
cool. Refreshing breezes are wafted from the San Francisco Bay and the 
Pacific Ocean, cooling the atmosphere. Here are as many hours in the day 
and as many days in the year during which persons may enjoy outdoor life 
as any place in the world. 

Plant life is putting forth vigorous growth, flowers are blooming and 
orchardists are picking and shipping deciduous fruits in a season when the 
weather is bleak and blizzardy in the East. 

Throughout the harvest season in Yolo there is a cloudless sky. The 
farmer experiences not the slightest fear that his grain may be injured 
before the harvester gathers it. The warmth and light develop rich juices 
and exquisite coloring of flower and fruit and a wealth of bloom and perfume 
unknown in the East. The curing of forage is unattended by the uncertainty 
and anxiety experienced in places where rain may come at any season. 
Consequently from five to seven cuttings of alfalfa are assured every year. 

Another advantage in the sunny sky of Yolo is in the preparation of 
dried fruits. California dried fruits — peaches and prunes, apricots, nectar- 
ines and figs — for which the State is noted throughout the world, are the 
results of our glorious sunlight. 



SOUVENIR f{l9l'7)i EDITION 



rrWiT--].. 




YOLO COUNTY HAS A COMBINATION OF RAIL AND RIVER TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES RARELY EQUALLED 

BY ANY COMMUNITY 



The average summer temperature of Yolo is seventy-seven and seven- 
tenths degrees ; the average winter temperature is forty-eight and three- 
tenths degrees; average mean temperature, sixty-two and eight-tenths 
degrees. 

It will thus be seen that Yolo is a county of perpetual paradise, where 
every plant known to floriculture flourishes in riotous profusion throughout 
the year, and roses, lilies, violets and carnations continue in flagrant bloom 
during the months of December, January and February. 

When folk in the East are shoveling real snow the trees are covered with 
snow-white blossoms in Yolo! And that is the only sign of "snow" that 
ever appears in this county. 

Transportation Facilities 

An oasis in the desert is of little value. It may be a garden spot in 
which nature works her many miracles, but unless those wonderful crops 
may be carried quickly to market by fast flying railroad trains they are 
worthless. Therefore one must consider transportation facilities as of vital 
importance to any community. 

In this respect Yolo County cannot be beaten. The Southern Pacific 
Company operates two of its main lines through this county — the trans- 
continental line over the Sierras to the East and the main line running to 
Oregon, via the beautiful Shasta Route. Then there are two electric rail- 
ways now traversing the county, and within a very short time it is expected 
that two others will operate here. The Southern Pacific also has branch 
lines in the county. 

Railroads are ever watchful of transportation opportunities. When a 
community begins to move ahead usually the railroad keeps apace with it. 
Freight tonnage is not to be overlooked. It must be significant that all new 



SOUVENIR 




EDITION 




l>ivA 



RICE, A GRAIN RECENTLY TRIED OUT IN THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY, HAS FAR EXCEEDED 
EXPECTATIONS. YOLO lUCE IS OF SUPERIOR QUALITY 



electric lines built in the Sacramento Valley are either operating in Yolo 
County or are headed this way. 

Another decided advantage in this regard is the Sacramento River, for 
ninety miles skirting the shores of Yolo. This stream is always open to 
navigation, and palatial steamers carry passengers and freight back and 
forth from San Francisco and Bay sections to Sacramento, the capital of 
the State. Yolo residents derive a direct benefit from this traffic for they 
may use these steamers for freighting or for other purposes. 

With the great populous section of the West only eighty-six miles away 
and with the very best and swiftest means of transportation available, Yolo 
farmers readily ship their produce to the markets paying the highest price. 

Schools 

From an educational standpoint, Yolo ranks among the foremost counties 
of California. The county is divided into forty-eight elementally and three 
high school districts. There are more than 2,000 pupils attending the ele- 
mentary schools and nearly 400 are enrolled in the high schools. 

The University of California, through the Department of Agriculture, 
has undertaken to establish a model district school after which other schools 
may pattern. This work is being done in Fairfield school district, which is 
near Davis. A modern building has been erected, and the grounds have 
been beautified by the planting of trees and shrubs by the pupils under the 
direction of State experts. 

One of the finest high schools in northern California is situated at AVood- 
land. The site covers an area of ten acres in two divisions, one of four 
acres and the other of six acres. A building for academic purposes has 
been erected on the four-acre tract, and is of steel frame and reinforced 
concrete. The cost with equipment was $100,000. It is a fire-proof, two-story 

SOUVENIR f(l9l'7)i EDITION 



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THE STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL FARM AT DAVIS OFFERS ADVANTAGES FOR THE CLOSE RANGE 
STUDY or AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL PROBLEMS 



10 



building with a finished basement. The building covers an area of 15,000 
square feet, and has an assembly room with a seating capacity of 600. Of 
the rooms, all of which are well lighted, ventilated and heated, three are used 
by the commercial department, seven by the household economics department, 
among them being a model kitchen, bedroom, dining room and laundry. 
There are four science laboratories. 

A building devoted to manual arts has been erected on the six-acre plot. 
This is of two stories and contains a floor area of over 5,000 square feet. On 
the first floor four rooms are devoted to wood and metal work and forging. 
The lockers and showers for the gymnasium are on this floor. The gymnasium 
occupies the upper floor. There are cloak rooms, a gallery and a kitchen. 

Tennis and basketball courts occupy the main grounds, where there are 
also an athletic track and enclosed baseball grounds. 

County Library 

A Free County Library movement, now authorized by law in California, was 
initiated in Yolo County in 1905, and nearly all of the county school districts 
have joined the County Library. There are about 10,000 books in the 
County Library, and the circulation during the current year approximated 
50,000, Books from the State library at Sacramento are available for use 
on request. Magazines of all kinds may be taken out for home reading. 

University Farm 

If it were necessary to still advance arguments as to the desirability of 
Yolo County for farming purposes, the fact that the University of California 
established one of the largest and best farms possessed by any college of 
agriculture in the world at Davis, Yolo County, should be final. The entire 
area of 780 acres is of Putah Creek soil far-famed for its depth and rich- 
ness. This site was selected in competition with more than one hundred 
other communities and only after most exhaustive examinations. That no 
mistake was made is evidenced by the fact that recent investigations have 
shown that the soil is of similar character to a depth of fourteen to twenty 
feet, at which point water is found. Roots of barley and other small grains 
and plants penetrate to the same distance. 

The chief business of such an institution is instruction and experimenta- 
tion. Provision is made for three lines — students who go from the main 
University of California at Berkeley for one term out of their four-year 
course, students in the Farm School which regularly is a three-year course, 
and short-course students who are provided with exceptional facilities for 
brief periods during October and November of each year. Any person over 
seventeen years of age is admitted to the short courses without examination. 
The fees are nominal, being on a basis of one dollar a week. 

Experimentation looking to the improvement of California agriculture 
occupies a large place and is being conducted in irrigation to determine the 
duty of water for alfalfa and other crops ; in grain growing to increase the 
yield and quality of wheat, barley and oats, and to determine practicable 
methods of improving and conserving soil fertility ; in fruit growing to 
study varieties and methods of culture and control of various diseases ; in 
forage crops to study new and promising varieties of alfalfa, corn, sorghum 
and legumes for green manuring; in live stock to gain further knowledge of 
how to combat tuberculosis and other diseases; in poultry to determine the 
best types of houses for California and study methods of feeding and breed- 
ing for best laying strains; in dairying to improve quality of butter and 
secure larger returns to dairymen. 

SOUVENIR ^(IQI'lli EDITION 




IOO,CX)0 ACRES ARE IRRIGATED FROM THE IMPOUNDED WATERS OF CACHE CREEK. A SPLENDID SYSTEM 

or CAJSIALS DISTRIBUTES THE SUPPLY 



Irrigation 

This is the age of irrigation. For years it had beer^ the practice of 
successful farmers to rely entirely upon the seasonal rainfall, which was 
regarded as ample for grains, horticulture, and all branches of agriculture, 
and few failures were ever recorded. But long since it was determined that 
both yield and quality of fruits of all kinds are improved manyfold with 
the aid of irrigation. Besides, the irrigating ditch full of water or the well 
harnessed with electricity are absolute safeguards against possible drought, 
and they also give assurance of the proper amount of moisture at the exact 
time it is required. 

Government engineers unhesitatingly have declared that the topographical 
and hydrographical conditions in Yolo County are such that irrigation by 
means of a canal system can be developed and maintained here better than 
anywhere on the Pacific Coast. The Yolo County Water and Power Company 
system now covers approximately 100,000 acres, and is capable of being 
developed to double its present capacity. This company takes its supply 
from Cache Creek, in Capay Valley, and distributes it by means of first-class 
canals. There is always sufficient water when it is required. 

The reclamation of overflowed lands is another feature of development 
that is under way in Yolo County. Within a very short time fully 100,000 
acres of this very fertile land will be available, and the diversity of crops 
that may be grown on this soil will astonish a person not familiar with this 
rich land. 

Throughout the county there has been no difftculty in tapping an inex- 
haustible subterranean water supply, and, w4th the certainty of electric 
power for pumping purposes farmers everywhere are availing themselves of 
this inexpensive method of irrigation. One company, which had planted 
sugar beets, requiring a large amount of water, irrigated 2,000 acres from 

12 





IRiaGATING A YOUNG VINEYARD. THERE IS NO BETTER MEANS KNOWN OF INSURING THE GROWTH 

OF PLANT LIFE 



one plant alone. Farmers on adjoining tracts experienced no difficulty in 
obtaining all the water needed for their crops, notwithstanding that the 
larger plant was pumping apparently from -the same underground strata. 

This clearly indicates that it is possible for a farmer to grow alfalfa in 
a section not now served by a canal system, and that he may safely place 
absolute reliance upon this method of irrigation for all purposes. There 
never need be fear of drought. 

An idea of the rapid development of irrigation may be gleaned from a 
statement made by the Pacific Gas & Electric Company, which is the 
source of the electric energy used throughout Yolo County. This company 
had five horse-power used for irrigating purposes in the city limits of 
Woodland. That was in 1911, and since that time the distributing lines have 
been extended until today there is a grand total of over fifty miles of 11,000 
volts pole line and more than 2,500 horsepower have been harnessed by farmers 
to centrifugal pumps in units varying from five to 150 horsepower for the pur- 
pose of irrigating alfalfa, sugar beets, grain, corn, orchards and vineyards. 

Reclamation 

Just as the modern farmer has learned to store up the mountain waters for 
irrigation work in summer, he has also learned to reclaim for his use thousands 
of acres of overflow land which were formerly useless except for occasional 
pasturage. Yolo County contains approximately 200,000 acres of such land. 
Of this about 70,000 acres have already been reclaimed ; another 30,000 are 
under way ; 6,000 are given over to the by-pass for the Sacramento River, leaving 
about 40.000 not yet undertaken. This land is part of a general plan involving 
over $30,000,000, of which one-third is for river improvement and two-thirds for 
levee construction. It is assured that the Federal Government will bear one-half 
the river improvement work or about one-sixth of the entire cost. 



SOUVENIR 




13 



EDITION 







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PERMANENCY IS A TEATURE OP THE IRRIGATING CANAL SYSTEMS WHICH COVER THE COUNTY 



Owing to the wonderful fertility of the overflowed land, reclamation has been 
carried on for many years in the Sacramento Valley on an ever increasing scale. 
Up to a few years ago success was by no means always assured, as each individual 
aimed simply to protect his own property and there was no concerted action to 
provide for the carrying off of those waters which were excluded from the lands. 
This important feature, that of providing an outlet for the flood waters of the 
river is now under the control of the State Reclamation Board and the California 
Debris Commission, which, under the present plan, proposes a by-pass over two 
miles in width, the eastern edge of which will be about three or four miles west 
of the river itself. This new artificial river, so to speak, will have ample capacity 
for carrying off all surplus waters at flood time of the river and its tributaries. 
With this work being done under the supervision of state and federal authorities 
according to comprehensive plans reclamation districts have been organized and 
the work is now done at a minimum of cost and a maximum 'of benefit. Projects 
are now under w-ay involving as high as 30,000 acres in a single tract. 

The cost of the work is assessed on the land benefits ancj while the figure 
varies somewhat the average is about $100 per acre, with many instances of it 
having been d(me for less than half that amount. 

The soil of these lands has been formed largely by material carried in 
suspension by the flood waters of the Sacramento River and deposited for many 
years past. 

Unreclaimed land sells at from $2,5 to $50 per acre and reclaimed land at 
from $250 to $500. Truck gardening, orchards and hops are the leading crops at 
present produced on tliis land which is ready to return to the cultivator the 
bounties which it has been accumulating for ages. 

Alfalfa 

Where irrigation is practiced one finds alfalfa. This fine forage is cut 
five, six and seven times in Yolo County, for there is an ample water supply 



SOUVENIR 




15 



EDITION 




AFTER EXHAUSTIVE INVESTIGATION OF THE VAEIOUS SITES OFFERED, THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SELE 

AND CLIMATE OF THIS COUNTY. THE PRESENCE OF THE UNIVERSITY FA 

and the climate is the "growing" kind There are many magnificent stands 
of alfalfa throughout the county, and farmers, heretofore used to endless 
fields of grain, now are adopting alfalfa on smaller acreage and making 
more money than they were under the old method. 

Whether the alfalfa hay is sold or fed to stock on the farm it is a big 
profit maker. Many farmers require all they can grow for their own 
purposes. 

Dairying 

Dairying in Yolo County is highly profitable, and it is a matter of pride 
to the residents of this section that some of the world's prize cows are found 
in Yolo County dairies. A. W. IMorris & Sons, dairymen and breeders of thor- 
oughbred Holstein cattle, have established several world's records in their herd, 
including the first and third cows in the world to produce over 28,000 
pounds of milk in a year, and the only two cows in the world that have 
produced in excess of 50,000 pounds of milk in two successive years. 

A Yolo County cow, owned by A. W. Morris & Sons, in November, 1914, 
established a new world's record. This cow, Tilly Alcartra, closed a year's 
test under the direction of an expert from the University of California Farm 
School with the most remarkable milk yield in history. The dairy world has 




HOGS — A SOURCE OF READY AND EASY MONEY IN CONNECTION WITH THE DAIRY AND ALFALFA FIELD 



16 





UNTY FOR THE LOCATION OF THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM, A TRIBUTE TO THE MATCHLESS SOIL 
MEDIATE AND FIRST HAND AH) TO THE NEW SETTLER IN YOLO COUNTY 

been striving for years to develop a cow that could produce 30,000 pounds 
of milk. Tilly yielded 30,452.6 pounds in a single year. Yolo County now 
holds three of the six world-record milk cows. 

Another of the herd has the distinction of being the world's greatest milk 
producer, having given 134.7 pounds of milk in one day and is the only cow 
in the world that has produced 900 pounds in seven days. This herd contains 
about 250 head of registered cows and heifers. Of these, the yearly records 
of fifteen cows show an average production of 721 pounds of butter fat and 
over 20,000 pounds of milk. Forty cows have completed year tests averaging 
600 pounds of butter fat, and less than half of these have reached mature age. 

This gives one an idea of what may be accomplished by a dairyman. 
Nor is this merely an isolated case, but it is the rule in Yolo County for 
farmers to breed the best stock. It would be hard to find anywhere in 
California, if not in the West, better herds than those established by the 
Bullard estate, the Gibsons, the Glides, H. P. Eakle, H. G. Armstrong, A. W. 
Morris, II. H. Gable and others. Durhams, ITolsteins, Jerseys, Herefords, 
Ayreshires, Polled Angus and the Brown Swiss have ardent admirers. 

There is a creamery at Woodland, another at Winters and a third is 
operated at the State University Farm at Davis, w^hich paid farmers $50,000 
last season. Each of these is run to full capacity, and considerable milk also 
is shipped to other points. 




YOLO COUNTY SHEEP ARE IN DEMAND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY WHERE PURE-BRED FLOCKS ARE RAISED 



17 



SOUVENIR ^ilQn)? EDITION 






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ALMONDS AXD PIUM;S ARE Till: 1 A\ ORITE TREE CROPS ALTHOUGH PEACHES, iVPRICOTS, PLUMS, PEARS, 
FIGS, WALNUTS AND OTHER VARLETLES ARE GROWN PROFITABLY 



18 



Hogs 

The successful farmer of today, besides raising alfalfa and keeping dairy- 
cows, also finds hogs highly profitable, and Yolo farmers are sensible in 
breeding high-class stock. The little extra care shows in bonus prices at 
market. Instead of raising "just pigs" farmers are coming to understand 
the scientific way of feeding to produce the best results. 

Fruit Growing 

G. H. Hecke, a horticulturist of renown, is county commissioner of horti- 
culture. He declares that Yolo County has in abundance the three funda- 
mental conditions that make fruit farming profitable. First, the climatic 
conditions are of the best. Second, fertile soil can be found in large quantity, 
and third, the proper moisture conditions can be supplied. As elsewhere, 
care and discretion must be exercised in the selection of these conditions, 
for there are locations where all of these three necessities cannot be found 
and hence would not be suitable. 

While virtually all commercial fruits are grown in the county, there are 
some well defined districts that are particularly profitable for certain fruits. 
Apricots, figs, peaches and almonds are favorites along the foothills of 
western Yolo from Winters to Rumsey. Woodland and Davis are noted for 
the fine quality of prunes, almonds and seedless raisins, and the river district for 
the excellent quality of Bartlett pears. 

The following is taken from the latest orchard census of the county: 

Fruit No. Trees Fruit No. Trees 

Almonds 292,700 Peaches 136,600 

Apricots 124,900 Prunes 93,800 

Plums 38,400 Pears 49,000 

Figs 11,900 Olives 15,028 

Walnuts 2,500 Oranges and Lemons . . 5,295 

The acreage planted to grapes is 6,000 acres. Apples and cherries are 
grown in many home orchards but are not produced on a commercial scale. 

Yolo is one of the leading counties for the production of almonds. 

Of the 4,000 acres planted two4hirds of the trees are in bearing. The 
leading varieties are Nonpareil, Ne Plus Ultra, I X L, Drake's Seedling, 
Peerless and Texas Prolific. Woodland and Davis districts have a number 
of splendid bearing orchards, but the center of the almond production is 
around the town of Esparto. At Guinda and Rumsey the almond also is 
growing with good results and a new territory from Madison north to 
Dunnigan recently is opening up as a promising field for this culture. The 
almond exceeds any other deciduous fruit and is being extended from year 
to year. 

The foothill districts of the Coast Range are well adapted to the growing 
of peaches. Winters is noted for the quality of peaches, whether early 
varieties for shipping to the East, or for canning or drying. Winters is one 
of the districts in California from which the earliest shipments of fresli 
fruits are made. The varieties grown are the St. John, Alexander, Hale's 
Early and Triumph, all for early shipping, and the Crawfords, Elbertas and 
Muir for drying, and cling varieties for canning. Capay Valley ranks second 
in the total production. 

The AVinters district leads in the production of apricots, both as to 
quality and quantity. The favorite variety is the Royal, which is the best 
for drying, and Winters quality is the unsurpassed standard by which other 
cured apricots are judged. Europe, which takes the bulk of the crop, 
demands the "Winters" brand. The Pringle variety is grown for early 

19 
SOUVENIR ^' 








^..^ 



THIS PICTURE SHOWS THE METHOD OF IRRIGATING AN ORCHARD. THE WATER SUPPLY COMES FROM IRRI- 
GATING SYSTEMS OR WELLS 



shipment. The Capay Valley also produces a fine quality of fruit, superior 
to the dried products of the lower lands of the county. 

The Woodland district, located in the rich alluvial soils of the overflow 
of Cache Creek, excels in the quality of prunes. The Yolanda orchard, near 
Woodland, is one of the finest in California, the prune production rivaling 
any in the world. The variety grown is called the French prune, which 
develops into a large, vigorous tree, with abundant foliage and good-sized 
fruit, when planted on good soil. Some Imperials are grown as well as 
some sugar prunes, but not to any great extent. In Guinda township are 
grown superior prunes. 

There is a considerable planting of pears, mostly on the rich bottom 
lands of the Sacramento River, and some at Capay and Winters. The fruit 
is an excellent shipper in both localities, and also is in great demand for 
canning. The lower lands offer splendid opportunities for further extending 
this profitable product. Pear blight, responsible for so many disappointments 
in pear culture, is kept under good control in existing orchards. 

Large plantings of the black Mission fig are found in a strip of land 
between Winters and Citrona and good returns are realized year after year. 
The trees are large and vigorous and bear heavily. In the Woodland district 
several orchards of the Calimyrna — the imported commercial variety of 
Asia Minor — have been planted but are not yet in bearing. For these 
Calimyrna varieties it is necessary to have a few Capri figs and fig wasps 
for pollenization. The market price for these dried varieties is high. 

Fully ninety per cent, of the olives in the county are of the Mission 
variety. Other varieties are Manzanillas and Sevillanos for pickling and 
Nevadillos for oil. The Mission brings excellent prices for pickling. Con- 
tracts are made for periods of five to ten years at figures that show an 
excellent financial return. The olive, when planted near the foothills, has 



20 




SOUVENIR ?l 191 '7 Ji EDITION 







FRUIT IS SATELY LEPT TO DRY IN THE SUMMER SUN WITHOUT FEAR OF DAMAGE FROM 

UNEXPECTED SHOWERS 



the advantage of ripening earlier than in localities of the lower valleys, 
where ripening is later and the danger of harm by early frosts is greater. 

There is renewed interest being manifested in walnuts, since new blight- 
resisting varieties have been bred and tested thoroughly. The varieties 
planted or grafted are the Mayette, Franquette, Wilson's Wonder, Eureka 
and Netf 's Prolific. The last two are comparatively blight-resistant. 

For years oranges have done well in the lower valley, indicating that 
climatic conditions will permit planting on a commercial scale. If such 
results are obtained in the Woodland district, it is safe, for commercial 
purposes, to choose certain higher levels of the valley near the foothills, 
provided suitable soil and moisture can be found. In fact, existing groves 
at Rumsey and Esparto demonstrate the commercial certainty of citrus 
culture. So far the fruit is not produced in carload quantities, hence the 
shipping expense is high and reduces the profits. When once a sufficient 
acreage is planted to warrant a packing house and shipment of carload lots, 
then citrus culture will become a well established industry in Yolo. 

Grapes are found largely in the fertile districts surrounding Woodland. 
A little more than half of this acreage is devoted to wine grapes, the balance 
to raisin and table grapes. The seedless raisin, produced and known to the 
trade as Woodland Sultanas, generally is oil-bleached and has proved uni- 
formly profitable. New vineyards, when located near older plantings, should 
be on resistant stock, to protect against phylloxera, which is the only serious 
insect pest menacing the grape vine, hence must be guarded against. Vari- 
eties for wine making are the old Zinfandel, Alicante Bouschet, Serine, 
Burger. Raisin varieties are Sultana, Thompson Seedless, Muscat and 
Malaga. 

Apples and cherries are found in many home orchards but are not grown 
on a commercial scale. 



21 



SOUVENIR f(l9l'5)f EDITION 




i 



THE HOP CROP OF YOLO COUNTY BRINGS IN UPWARDS OF $500,000 ANNUALLY. THE CROP IS RAISED NEAR 

THE RIVER LEVEL 



22 



Grain 

As has been stated previously wheat and barley acreage exceeds all 
others in Yolo County. Nearly 50,000 acres are in barley, and the produc- 
tion will be fully 1,250,000 bushels a season. The wheat acreage approx- 
imates 15,000 acres, and the yield will average 250,000 bushels a season. 
This does not include grains that are cut green. 

Hops 

Hops are grown along the river and the industry is increasing rapidly. 
The crop in this county sells for about $500,000. The industry requires a 
special knowledge but pays well where handled intelligently. 

Rice 

"Within the past two or three years rice culture has attracted considerable 
attention in California. It is estimated that there are now some ten thousand 
acres planted to rice, most of this acreage being in the Sacramento Valley. 
Rice will grow only in low land which can be easily irrigated and drained. 
The remarkable increase in acreage within the past two years, together 
with the great increase in rice production, indicates that this new branch of 
agriculture will prove highly profitable to the California farmer. 

There are a number of rice farms in Yolo County which are demon- 
strating the practicability of the industry in this county. The river bottom 
lands are most adaptable to rice culture. 

Live Stock 

Yolo County was awarded more prizes at the 1913 and 1914 State Fair 
in the live stock division than any other county of the State. 

A Yolo County hog won the sweepstakes prize. A race-horse bred in 
Yolo broke the Pacific Coast record on a Yolo County race-track. Yolo 
County has the best cows in the world. Yolo sheep are sent all over the 
world for breeding purposes. Prize boars and rams have been purchased 
by farmers and cattlemen in many states. 

Yolo County was made famous among the breeders of the world for the 
wonderful thoroughbred horses bred by the late Edward Corrigan and the 
late John W. Mackay, both of whom maintained high-class breeding farms 
in this county. Woodland 

AVoodland, the county-seat, is situated on the Cache Creek delta, in the 
center of the county. It is one^ of the most progressive cities in California, 
and its clean, well paved streets are lined with magnificent residences and 
fine business blocks. 

The municipal government is model, the city owning its own water works 
and having a splendid sewer system. There are ample facilities for illumi- 
nation, heat and power. The fire department is well organized and 
equipped. 

Among its industries are one of the best flour mills in the State, an olive 
oil and pickling plant, and a creamery, which last season distributed more 
than $100,000 among dairymen in the district. 

There are fine schools, among them a $100^000 high school. There is 
also a private academy of state-wide reputation. 

There is a free public library, containing many thousand books. 

All religious denominations are well represented, many of them having 
fine substantial churches. 

The surrounding country is a rich farming community, and agriculture 
and horticulture are the principal sources of the wealth of Woodland. 

The town enjoys excellent rail facilities, the Southern Pacific operating 
its main northern line through it, and the Northern Electric running its 
electric trains to Sacramento and Valley points. 

23 





A FAMILIAR SCENE IN YOLO COUNTY IS A TRAIN OF WAGONS HAULED BY TRACTION ENGINES. THE HIGH- 
WAY AND BRIDGE FACILITIES ARE EXCELLENT 



24 




-1 
1 



■«■ 




THESE BUILDINGS, A BANK, COUNTRY SCHOOL AND CHURCH, ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PUBLIC AND 

BUSINESS PROPERTIES OF THE COUNTY 



25 




EVIDENCES Of PROSPERITY ON THE EARM. 1,\ KRVWHERE IN YOLO COUNTY IS POUND THE COMFORTABLE 

HOSPITABLE HOME 



26 



Winters 

Winters is situated twenty miles southwest of Woodland and is the 
second largest town in the county. It is situated at the base of picturesque 
hills, and is in the very center of Putah Creek delta lands. 

iWinters is noted for its early fruits and vegetables, which are shipped 
everywhere. Winters apricots are famous the world over, the name 
"Winters" being regarded as a standard in European countries. Yearly, 
in. May, the little city holds an Apricot Annual, in celebration of the first 
ripening of this fruit. 

The fruit belt comprises about 10,000 acres of foothill land and the inter- 
vening valleys along the eastern base of the Coast Range, and also about 
40,000 acres of deep alluvial soil located along Putah Creek. 

Winters is a progressive little city, the business blocks being of a high 
standard. 

There are good schools, including an excellent high school. There are 
several churches, and many beautiful homes. 

Winters is on a branch line of the Southern Pacific. 

Guinda and Rumsey 

Guinda and Rumsey are located near the head of the Capay Valley, one 
of the most striking and picturesque features of the county. The valley is 
twenty miles long and varies from one to four miles in width. 

To the north the Coast Range forms a picturesque gorge through which 
flows Cache Creek, the outlet of Clear Lake, and which traverses the entire 
length of the valley. In this vicinity the soil is a fine sandy loam, ideal for 
all fruit and alfalfa. It is shielded from cold winds and frosts, and there- 
fore is peculiarly adapted for early fruits and vegetables, which are shipped 
over the branch Southern Pacific line in large quantities. 

Capay 

Capay is situated where Capay Valley opens into the great Sacramento 
Valley, on the branch Southern Pacific line. 

From here are shipped large quantities of stock, wheat and barley. 
Many orchards and vineyards are in bearing hereabout. 

Esparto 

Esparto is three miles from the entrance to Capay Valley, and also is on 
the branch line of the Southern Pacific. 

This section is especially adapted to almonds, grapes, apricots, prunes 
and grain, all of which are shipped in large quantities. 

There is a good grammar school and a fine high school at Esparto. 

Madison 

Madison is twelve miles due west of Woodland. It is served by the 
Southern Pacific, and the surrounding country rapidly is being devoted to 
alfalfa growing and fruit, and there is still a very large acreage of grain 

^^^^^- Davis 

Davis is located on Putah Creek, thirteen miles west of Sacramento arid 
eight miles from Woodland. It is a railroad junction and enjoys excellent 
transportation facilities. All Southern Pacific trains stop here, the main 
transcontinental line turning toward Sacramento and the East, while the 
main line to the north runs to Oregon by way of Woodland. 

The farm operated in conjunction with the Agricultural Department of 
the University of California is situated at Davis, the site having been chosen 
after consideration of soil and climatic conditions in a hundred sections of 
California. 





28 



— iv;y - CT 




THE YOLO COUNTY FARMER BELIEVES IN NO HALF-WAY BUSINESS IN HIS HIGHWAYS. THEY MUST BE 

AND ARE THE BEST 



Davis has good schools, churches, and all elements that go to develop a 
thriving community. 

The farming section is of the very best soil, being especially adapted to 
almonds, fruits of all kinds and alfalfa. There is considerable dairying in 
the section, the product being purchased by the State Farm, where a 
creamery is operated. 

Dunnigan and Zamora 

Dunnigan and Zamora are railroad towns in the northern part of the 
county. They are centers of large grain, hay and grape districts, and are 
important shipping points. 

There is considerable subdivision being done in these localities, which is 
proving of great benefit to both places. 

Yolo 

Yolo, in the early days the county-seat of Yolo County, is a flourishing 
village on Cache Creek, on the line of the Southern Pacific and in the heart 
of a great fruit district. 

The Yolo orchard, one of the largest in the world, is located here. 

There has been a considerable development in the district by reason of 
large acreages having been cut up and sold to farmers who are farming 
them intensively. There is considerable dairying, many alfalfa fields and 
orchards where, only a few years ago, were great tracts given over 
exclusively to grains. 

Knights Landing 

Knights Landing is the most northerly river town in the county. In 
the early days, prior to and during the territorial era of California, it was 
one of the famous towns of the Sacramento Valley. It is on the Oroville- 

29 




mMs^ 



f 
« 



W 





RAISING GREEN CORN FOR ENSILAGE HAS BECOME POPULAR AMONG THE DAIRYMEN OF THE COUNTY 



Woodland branch railroad as well as on the Sacramento Kiver and therefore 
enjoys excellent transportation facilities. 

In this section irrigation and reclamation projects are being developed, 
opening up vast tracts of virgin soil. 

Clarksburg 

Clarksburg, on the Sacramento River, is in the extreme southeastern 
portion of the county and is an important shipping point. It is the center 
of one of the most comprehensive reclamation systems in the State, the soil 
is rich and inexhaustible and the products varied. 

Washington and Riverbank 

"Washington and Riverbank, on the river just opposite Sacramento, are 
thriving towns, with good schools, churches, etc., and are adjacent to the 
great West Sacramento and River Garden Farms reclamation districts. 

Banks 

Yolo County justly is proud of its banking institutions, of which there 
are nine in the county with a combined capital and surplus of $2,697,375 and 
deposits aggregating $4,161,155.35. These banks were organized and are officered 
by Yolo County men, and the capital invested in them and the money on deposit 
were earned in this county. 

Social Life 

The social life of Yolo County is ideal. Not only are all the religious 
denominations represented but the principal fraternal orders have local 
lodges in all towns and cities. 

Another attractive feature is the almost total absence of saloons. Liquor 
is not sold in Woodland, Winters, Davis, Esparto, and other sections of the 
county. 



30 



SOUVENIR 




EDITION 




THE YOLO COUNTY FARMER S SILO DIFFERS LITTLE FROM THAT OF HIS EASTERN COUSIN 

A Final Word 

Facts have been set down in this booklet, and the Yolo County Board of 
Trade — an official organization the sole object of which is to bring settlers 
to the county — stands ready to substantiate every statement contained herein. 

Yolo County needs farmers — persons who know and practice the science 
of intensive farming. There is room for thousands of them. Any and 
every section of the county wants settlers, and they will find without excep- 
tion unparalleled conditions for fruit growing, dairying, alfalfa, nuts, grains, 
live stock, small berries and fruits, in fact, every kind and character of 
crop that may be grown in the temperate and sub-tropic zones. 

Yolo County is close to markets having a permanent population of a 
million and a half persons, a number that is certain to be increased very 
materially within the next twelvemonth. There never is the slightest fear 
of over-production of anything grown in California, for the whole world is 
our market place, especially for citrus and deciduous and dried fruits. 

Yolo County soil cannot be excelled. This has been proved by the 
selection of Yolo County for the location of the State Farm. This was done 
in competition with other sections of California. It would be useless to 
attempt to fix the price of lands in a publication of this character. Prices 
of available and desirable land vary according to location. But this 
much is certain : The best land is always high priced. Another thing is 
certain and that is that almost any acreage in Yolo County, intelligently 
farmed, will yield a handsome return on the money invested. By inquiry 
and investigation a prospective purchaser may be guided to a location which 
will be suited to his purpose. As anywhere else, a person must rely upon 
his judgment and the best experience of the community. Farming is not a 
haphazard undertaking. It requires brains to be a successful farmer. 

Yolo County climate is without rival. At no time is it extremely cold 
and never excessively hot. "Winter" means merely the rainy season, and 

,sX\i I An. 31 



SOUVENIR ^(J9l'5ji EDITION 











,'^>^ 









^ i^i'ti '^*' °<5^?^'r' '- ^ "' -^" 



^ 



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-^ 



A PROLIFIC YIELD OF GRAIN HAY. THE GRAIN AND HAY CROP IN YOLO AMOUNTS TO MORE THAN 

$3,500,000 ANNUALLY 

the average annual rainfall is eighteen inches. Summer is hot but not 
oppressive. The atmosphere is dry. At night cooling breezes are wafted 
up the valley and across the Coast Range from the San Francisco Bay and 
the Pacific Ocean. It is the unusual climate of Yolo that ripens some of 
the first fruits shipped from California to the markets of the East. From 
end to end Yolo County is covered with blossoming trees at a time when 
the East is covered with snow. 

Yolo County has the added advantage of inexhaustible water supplies — 
the Sacramento River washing its shores for ninety miles as it rushes on to 
the sea, Cache and Putah creeks, which race down from the mountains, and 
diversion canals which are always filled witli water when it is needed for 
irrigating purposes. In addition to this there is a subterranean supply that 
may be tapped at comparatively shallow depth, and right at hand is a 
high-tension electric power line ready to be connected with a motor for 
pumping purposes. 

With soil, climate, water, transportation, highways, schools — everything 
that civilization has to offer — in its favor, Yolo County unhesitatingly 
extends an invitation to all persons to come here on a visit. One who is 
seeking a home surely will make permanent his stay in this beautiful 
section of glorious California ! 

A reader anxious to ascertain additional facts about any community or 
condition will be served promptly and properly if an inquiry be addressed to 



P D 8. 2. 



^ 



H. S. MADDOX, Secretary, 



Yolo County Board of Trade and Panama-Pacific International 
Exposition Commission, Woodland, Yolo County, California. 



32 



SOUVENIR 



1(191 "5 )i EDITION 




This map shows the relative position of Yolo County to central California. Note the distance from Yolo 
to San Francisco and the bay cities, the nearness of Sacramento, the State capital, the transportation 

facilities, both river and rail 



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a small area in the United States, are one of Yolo County's big profitable crops 



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